18 July 2019, Thursday
My new nickname here at the B&B is Gimpy. O is now known as “Mr. Gimpy.” During the night my foot must have swelled more, despite being elevated. I woke with numb toes and pain on the top of my foot. My ankle felt OK. After breakfast I call the hospital for advice. The nurse suggests an ER visit but also says they usually cut a notch in the cast on inpatients when this happens. I decide I don’t need an ER visit. O gets out his tools and finds a small saw. Together we cut down through the plaster back along the top of the cast. This takes a bit of pressure off. My toes are pink and no longer numb.
Our next task is to find O’s Tilley hat which seems to have gone missing during our adventure. He thinks perhaps it was left in the ambulance. Before I get a chance to call and ask if a hat was found, a text message arrives from Chris, the paramedic. He found O’s hat in the Argo. Would we like to drive up to Sussex to retrieve it, or should he mail it to us. O and I decide to drive up to retrieve the hat and to say thanks again. Besides, one of the staff here at the B&B told us there is a great ice cream place in Sussex.
We retrieve the hat at the fire station. Chris and Joel are both there. We thank them again and remark on how remote that part of the trail is. We are shown a map of the area which drives home the point. Chris gives us directions to the ice cream shop and with a last round of thanks, O and I are on our way. While we are sitting at Sully’s enjoying our scoops of ice cream a friendly gentleman approaches us. It is Bill Wanamaker, fire department chief. Joel told him we had stopped in and were getting ice cream at Sully’s. He came over to meet us. We thank him as well and describe the great job the rescue team performed.
After our visit we return to St. Martins. At the B&B we meet the couple who have reserved our first floor room. Turns out they live about 35 minutes away from us in Pennsylvania. Once they see my crutches and cast they offer to exchange rooms. They will take the second floor room allowing us to remain on the first floor. I am very grateful!
Following dinner O and I get some of our backpacking gear sorted out and put away. We are slowly making progress. I now have time to call Diane, our shuttle driver who was very worried about us. I describe our adventure and assure her we are OK and my ankle will heal. Her concern is touching. We now have time to relax in our room. The evening is cool and pleasant.